


Pocketful of Sunshine and Elfroot

by SweetPoffin



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood, Child Death, Dalish Courtship, Dalish Elves, Loss of Virginity, Minor Character Death, Multi, Original Character Death(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-11 08:21:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13520328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetPoffin/pseuds/SweetPoffin
Summary: "Come on Nethy, we won't be gone long.""That's what you said last time, and we got back when the sun was down and our mothers were still out."Two Elven children argued with each other, one wanting to explore the vast green forest that the aravels had recently stopped in. The Emerald Graves were vast and filled with beauty, but also danger as the Keeper had warned. Giants who sought to step on small elves who wondered too far from the camp, and great bears to were hungry for blood.A Dalish healer crossed paths with the Inquisition on one faithful day, but what happened before she came in contact with the Inquisitor?What happened in her life to make her the way she is now? Who really is Nethari?





	Pocketful of Sunshine and Elfroot

**Author's Note:**

> Italics means speaking in Elven, be kind this is the first time I've written something for DA and not gore.

When the aravels of a dalish clan stop, when the elves let the halla be free of the weight they pull, one must be aware that this is now the territory of a dalish encampment. Get too close and you may be attacked or worse, the elven 'savages' were unpredictable as most people would say. In reality this Clan was friendly, they had stopped their aravels for the arrivals of new children to be born soon from a well respected elf who the Clan knew as Helena. But what they did not know was that in the commotion two of the young had snuck off with packs of dried meats, they were only five and six at the time but already they were adventurous things. The blonde one had a cautious look upon her bare face, for she was too young for the vallaslin to mark her yet, and the redheaded one to excitedly be pulling on her arm hard in the direction of the thick of the forest. The trees towered over them, providing shade from the sun but few steaks slipped through lighting their path. 

" _Come Nethy, we won't be gone long_."

" _That is what you said last time, we got back when the sun had already fallen and our mothers were awaiting our return_."

Two Elven children argued with each other, one wanting to explore the vast green forest that the aravels had recently stopped in while the other wished to stay in the camp. The Emerald Graves were vast and filled with beauty, but also danger as the Keeper had warned. Giants who sought to step on small elves who wondered too far from the camp, and great bears to were hungry for blood. Still the taller of the two persisted, pulling the other girl with her as she marched her way through the bushes. A caterpillar caught their eyes and they had to stop to watch it cross from one leaf to another, it fell off into the dirt and grass, the girls couldn't help but giggle at it before Red and 'Nethy' resumed their walking.   
  
The elves stopped in their tracks as a bear walked out of the bushes with her cubs, for she did not attack only walk away. It was a wondrous sight for the two children to see, before running down the hills to the small creek. It was early spring, barely any water flowed through but enough that it could still be called a stream. The redhead sat on a mossy rock with her pack on her lap, grabbing some spindleweed closest to her as the blonde tugged at her own pack.   
  
" _Liri we should return to the Clan, Keeper Danyhris will scold us if we are not found in camp soon."_   The younger of the two said, as she took a step back, the noises of the large graves became louder for her and made her quite aware of how far they had gone from the camp. The sight of elfroot and a bit of spindleweed caught her friend's eye, making her dash for it and shove it into her pack before she spoke. " _Come now Nethari, where is your sense of adventure? Besides your mother is going to give birth soon, we have to get her elfroot so she won't hurt when the babies come._ "It was true that Nethari's mother was due to give birth soon, but to break the rules set by the Keeper to help her? How foolish was Liri to think that this was a good idea at all in the slightest.   
  
Still Nethari wished not to see her creator in pain, she had watched her mother struggle the past few months as they traveled the land back to the Emerald graves where they have not been since the previous fall as winter had come and drove them away from the place they had decided to call home. But alas they always return, there was far too much for them to learn here than to be gone for too long. Keeper Danyhris enjoyed going out to the ruins when she was given a moment of freedom, bringing back to findings for her students that listened to her tales of the Elvhen.   
  
Sadly she was getting old, and without a child born with magic to be revealed yet they prayed that the new children to be born would show early on the gifts of the gods. If not they would have to get in contact with fellow Clans whom had a Second already chosen to come to their own clan, though the stubbornness of the Keeper would most likely prevent that from happening until years after the new children have been born.   
  
" _Nethari come over here and help, if we collect enough we can return now._ " A tempting offer from Liri, but Nethari stood her ground off the shore of the bank. At last the redheaded elf stood from her spot, a little frown on her face. " _Is something wrong? You usually help after I pester you.._ " Liri grewed a bit worried at the sight of her friend not moving as such, before she too turned to look where she was facing.  
  
Before them stood a giant who had yet to see them, it stood across the creek barely a few feet away. Nethari had been paralyzed in fear from just the sight of it, before she quickly started whispering a prayer to Mythal as the two began to backup. " _Mythal, all-mother, protector of the People, watch over us, for the path we tread is perilous. Save us from the darkness, as you did before, and we will sing your name to the heavens._ " It took barely thirty seconds for the two elves to be out of sight from the giant and halfway back to camp, tears bubbling down one's cheeks while the other was amazed by what she saw.   
  
Sneaking back into the camp was easy, that is until one of the elders of the clan noticed the two sneaking back in with packs on their backs. However he was kind, placing a finger to his lips as they went back to the aravel where a blonde woman lay with a hand resting upon her swollen belly. A long braid was thrown over her shoulder, she was humming as she rubbed her belly before noticing her child. "Come here _da'len,_ your brother or sister has stirred. It will not be long now before they are gifted into this world." At her request Nethari crawled into the aravel where her mother rested, Liri left the pack close by before running to go see her own mother.   
  
Helen placed butterfly kisses to her daughter's face as she came in contact, small hands slowly moved to touch her swollen stomach before she rested her head gently against it to listen. A small foot-or was it a hand, pressed against her cheek. Nethari couldn't help but giggle at the feeling, looking up at her smiling mother with an excited grin. "What will it be?" She asked, almost shaking with excitement even though barely a few minutes ago she was paralyzed with fear. Her mother only chuckled at her, "We do not know yet, my little moonflower. Keeper Danyhris said the likeliness of it being more than one is high, perhaps you will have a brother and sisters, maybe two brothers." At her words she scrunched up her face at the thought of having two brothers.   
  
"But I want two sisters.." 

With a pout Nethari rubbed her cheek against her belly some more, enjoying the comforting warmth that emitted from her. Helen could only chuckle at her, "My child I cannot control that, for it is upto the Gods to decide if we are to be gifted with a boy or a girl." With a kind smile, she laid her head back with a sigh. The child soon realized what she had forgotten, "Mother Liri and I found something for you." Crawling out towards the open world she grabbed the pack filled with elfroot and spindleweed, a familiar kind smile on her lips.  
  
"We got you somethings for you pain.." She looked down in shame at the face her mother gave her, "I know we are not to leave the camp, but we saw how much you were hurting and..." Biting her lip lightly she pushed the pack closer, before her mother opened up her arms for a hug, to which she gladly accepted.   
  
"Moonflower, you know the rules, you mustn't leave the Clan without an adult for you might get lost or hurt. I do not know what to do if I lost you." At her words Nethari could only cling to her mother and listen to her heartbeat, it hurt hearing those words come from her but she knew that they were true enough. They had lost a few of their own to a sickness during the winter, it was a hard time for their clan but they had to keep pushing forward, they had time to mourn when they were away from the cold. Liri lost her father to the ice years ago, and after that she was always so cautious when she was with her and she had been so worried during the sickness that maybe she would be lost as well.   
  
The sounds of another sitting near the entrance of the aravel caught her attention, looking up at to whom was now there. Nethari could only smile with her mother at the sight of her father, one of the warriors of their Clan who brought back many furs for her mother during their time of courtship and even now when they had their second and third child on the way. "Papa, are you going to stay here with mother?" Nethari asked with a bit of hope in her eyes, for her father had to leave soon to hunt for a few days, they could not wait until the babies were born to hunt as everyone would be too busy. "No  _da'len,_ we must still hunt before the game decides to move. You must stay with your mother, protect her and your siblings for me." He brought a hand up to her head and ruffled her hair, before pressing a kiss to his wife's lips.   
  
Helen looked at her husband, worried evident in her eyes for she fear he would not be there for the birth of their children. Tariel just gave a small smile to his ray of sunshine, "Do not worry  _ma vhenan,_ we will not be gone long. I will not miss the first breath of my second child for the world, should I have to run back by myself to see them I shall." She couldn't help but believe her love's words, pressing her forehead against his she could only nod. As he pulled away he pressed his forehead to his daughter's, she eagerly met his with her own. It was a family thing they did, for when she was but a baby she refused kisses but loved forehead touches with butterfly kisses. Tariel soon left the aravel, pulling his greatsword onto his back as the rest of the hunting party gathered.   
  
"Will papa be back soon mama?" Nethari whispered to her mother.   
  
"I truly hope so, my little moonflower." 

**Author's Note:**

> Oh god I really hope this is good, I've never written something like this before so please give feedback.
> 
> It's gonna start off slow, mentions of the blight, Kirkland and such will come later on.


End file.
